With a 1916 setting that offers a very different perspective on the era of T.E. Lawrence; there’s a richness to both its character work and the historical implications of every setting those players find themselves in.

Full Review | Nov 14, 2023

Jacir Eid holds much of Theeb on his shoulders, but he makes all this responsibility look effortless, putting in a performance that modulates childlike innocence with the embittered gaze of someone learning how the world works for the first time.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2023

For all its beauty, the stark simplicity of this folk tale with firearms mean it offers few real surprises.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | May 8, 2020

Theeb is a mature, well-realized effort that brings to mind some of Hollywood's old westerns and epics

Full Review | Jun 6, 2019

Nowar makes good use of the Wolfgang Thaler's experienced camera and the open canvas reminds us of the classic western...

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 10, 2018

Nowar uses the Wadi Rum setting in much the same way as American director John Ford used Monument Valley: as an iconic symbol, but also as such a dominant presence that it takes on the importance of character . . . .

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jan 16, 2018

The epic and the intimate combine impressively in Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar's debut feature Theeb.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 21, 2017

Part of what makes Theeb such a breath of fresh air is that it narrows its focus, examining a group of individuals (and one in particular) rather than getting stuck in well-meaning liberal "typicality."

Full Review | Nov 21, 2017

Come for a trip to gorgeous vistas in faraway lands; stay for the character drama

Full Review | Aug 14, 2017

The premise is beautifully executed, with a level of tension and unpredictability that builds and builds until the end.

Full Review | Jun 21, 2017

The first movie from Jordan to be nominated for a foreign-language Oscar, Theeb is a stark and affecting drama about a boy growing up fast in the face of war.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Dec 31, 2016

Nowar operates with the understanding that less is more, and proves that you can make a strong film without dumb contrivances such as exposition and cliched character arcs.

Full Review | Dec 6, 2016

A beautifully crafted coming-of-age drama that also doubles as a 'Bedouin Western'.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 1, 2016

A movie that combines direct and crude violence with an intimate story. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jun 20, 2016

An honest and fair portrait of a culture. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 7, 2016

An exotic movie that doesn't feel like a film debut. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jun 3, 2016

The geopolitical complexities running underneath this period story will reverberate into the 21st century.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 5, 2016

A coming-of-age story told with a genuine feeling for the vast, unyielding desert and an eye for the uncertainties of adolescence.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 4, 2016

A gorgeous, cracking adventure with a smart ring of authenticity, full of pulpy twists and perils, and with a sweetly naive but gruffly charming young hero.

Full Review | Feb 28, 2016

Young al-Hwietat is impressive at conveying the physical and moral trials Theeb faces in a basic survival narrative.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 26, 2016